LOS ANGELES, Feb 24 — Marvel and Disney’s Captain America: Brave New World clung to the top of the North American box office this weekend despite a steep drop from its opening, earning an estimated US$28.2 million, analysts said Sunday.
That take, on a slow February weekend, was just over one-fourth the US$100 million the superhero film earned at its opening. Reviews of the movie, with Anthony Mackie in the title role, have been decidedly weak.
Neon Studio’s new comedy-horror film The Monkey, based on a short story by Stephen King, opened in second place for the Friday-through-Sunday period, taking in an estimated US$14.2 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.
Theo James, Rohan Campbell and Elijah Wood star in the movie about a demonic toy monkey that is linked to a series of horrific deaths.
In third place, slipping one spot from last weekend, was Columbia and Sony’s Paddington in Peru, at US$6.5 million. Ben Whishaw voices the lovable, floppy-hatted bear.
Also down one spot was Dog Man, a superhero comedy from Universal and DreamWorks, at US$5.9 million. The family-friendly animation is a spinoff from the best-selling Captain Underpants books.
And in fifth, at US$3 million, was Ne Zha 2 from CMC Pictures. The Chinese blockbuster has become the biggest-ever box-office release in China and the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
The tale of a rebellious young deity who uses his powers to battle formidable foes, Ne Zha 2 has logged worldwide ticket sales of US$1.72 billion since its January 29 release in China, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
Heart Eyes (US$2.9 million)
The Unbreakable Boy (US$2.5 million)
Mufasa: The Lion King (US$2.5 million)
One of Them Days (US$1.4 million)
Love Hurts (US$1.1 million) — AFP
